Family and Consumer Sciences Education
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Human Development and Family Science with Child Life Major in Pennsylvania
Are you interested in helping infants, children, youth and families overcome stressful challenges tied to their physical and psychosocial wellbeing? The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in human development and family science with child life at Messiah University prepares students to better serve hospitalized children and their families with compassion, respect and love during their most difficult periods.
Study Human Development and Family Science with Child Life at a Christian University
As a human development and family science with child life major at Messiah University, a nationally ranked private Christian university in central Pennsylvania, you’ll acquire the essential skills to promote effective coping strategies for children. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of human growth and development, family dynamics and caring for families under stress through foundational courses that lay the groundwork for specialized training in supporting children and families facing medical and psychosocial challenges. Our dedicated faculty will guide you in mastering play techniques, educational strategies and procedural preparation methods. By learning how to provide the appropriate interventions, child life specialists alleviate fear, pain and stress for their patients.
As a human development and family science with child life major at Messiah University, you’ll be able to:
- Gain specialized training to effectively support hospitalized children and their families.
- Provide holistic care to infants, children, youth and families facing acute and chronic illnesses.
- Utilize evidence-based interventions tailored to developmental and psychological needs.
- Address a wide range of stressors including injury, trauma, disability, loss and bereavement.
- Collaborate with healthcare professionals to ensure comprehensive support.
As a graduate of the human development and family science with child life program, you will be equipped to pursue positions such as:
- Child life specialist
- Child life program coordinator
- Early Intervention Specialist
- Children’s Hospice
- Foster Care and Adoption Worker
You will accrue significant field experience through your Introduction to Child Life field placement course, volunteer hours at children’s hospitals, and other health-related contexts. You will be able to engage in practicum experiences through Messiah’s nationally recognized Career and Professional Development Center. Additionally, you will secure all the coursework necessary to apply for child life internships required to sit for the Child Life Exam.
Internship credit may be gained through:
- Practica
- Hospitals
- Doctors’ offices
- Outpatient clinics
Programs related to Human Development and Family Science with Child Life
In the Human Development and Family Science with Child Life program, you will take a selection of courses that successfully prepare you for a career in a related field. Hands-on experiences and classroom learning within the framework of Christian faith will give you the skills and knowledge to achieve your goals. Our programs offer a wide variety of courses that will not only help you excel in your future career, but challenge you to develop a deeper understanding of your field of study.
Course options for Human Development and Family Science with Child Life:
Human Development and Family Science with Child Life (B.A.)
Human Development and Family Science with Child Life careers and outcomes
Where our grads work
Graduates of the Human Development and Family Science with Child Life program work in positions of leadership in their places of employment, using the tools and knowledge a Messiah University education prepared them with. Each year, eager employers and some of the nation's best graduate schools welcome Messiah graduates into their organizations.
96% of the Class of 2022 respondents were employed or in graduate school within 6-9 months of graduation.
Our Alumni
Regional and national employers seek out Messiah graduates for their academic preparation, work ethic and personal character. The transformation you experience at Messiah readies you to transform the lives of others through your chosen career path.
MEET ALUMNI FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY SCIENCE
Messiah's unique approach to hands-on learning
Learning in the classroom is important but actually applying that knowledge in a hands-on way can make all the difference. At Messiah University, the Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI) allows Messiah to take this hands-on learning to a new level by giving students the opportunity to apply what they have learned to various real world contexts--such as an internship/practica, service learning, off-campus program, holding a student leadership position, or participating in undergraduate research.